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The only real thing “wrong” with the old Elantra, really, was that it was about as interesting to look at as a bar of soap. That didn’t stop Hyundai from completely reworking its bread-and-butter compact, and the result is an impressive pole vault from forgettable to formidable.

The new 2011 Hyundai Elantra gets a liberal helping of Hyundai‘s new “scoopy and swoopy” styling, as one Hyundai employee put it, making the Elantra unmistakable while still drawing a familial connection to its recently updated Hyundai stablemates. It may seem odd that the new Elantra’s headlights nearly touch the A-pillars, but like many individual styling elements, the whole car comes together nicely into a sort of shrink-wrapped Tucson, only better.

Actually, shrink is the wrong word. The Elantra has grown by 2 inches in length and added an inch to its wheelbase. What’s impressive is that Hyundai was able to do all this and still drop the curb weight by 187 pounds compared to the last Elantra we tested, making the car feel quite nimble on the road. As you might expect, the ride is smooth and comfortable, though the handling is best described as less than sporty. Still, the steering is quick and accurate, if not communicative. As seems to be a trend in new Hyundais, the power steering feels remarkably similar to a video-game steering wheel we used to have in the office-elastic and artificial. But when chucking the Elantra around the corners, its handling is very neutral once the rear end settles in, and the car grips better than you expect. Objectively, it’s nearly dead even with the turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze – one of its main bogies — on the skidpad and our figure eight.

With the new “Nu” 1.8-liter engine under hood producing 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque (10 more horsepower than before, but 5 fewer pound-feet) and that feathery curb weight, Hyundai is claiming a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio. Matched with a new in-house-developed six-speed automatic, the Elantra hits 60 mph in 9.1 seconds, 1.1 seconds quicker than before, and 0.5 seconds slower than the turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze. It’s not fast, but the six-speed automatic’s gear ratios keep the engine in its powerband and make the car feel quicker on the road than the numbers indicate.

The Nu engine is a nice piece, delivering smooth and linear power all the way to redline without ever sounding overworked. Hyundai’s new, in-house-built six-speed is just as impressive, with smooth upshifts and well-chosen ratios, though it occasionally balked on downshifts. A six-speed manual is available, but with its vaguely defined gates, manually shifting the auto was almost more fun. Hyundai is eager to point out that regardless of transmission or model, the Elantra will return 40 mpg highway, something the Cruze can’t say.

A starting price of just $15,550 is something else the Cruze can’t say, nor can any other car in the segment. Even those that meet the Elantra’s fuel economy numbers can’t touch its base price. But while the Elantra may not require a special, more expensive “Eco” or “Super Fuel Economy” package to get 40 mpg, it’s worth noting that some of the Hyundai’s price advantage is erased when you pack on options like air-conditioning, cruise control, and an automatic transmission.

On the other hand, Hyundai has reached the 40-mpg milestone without exhausting its bag of tricks. Where the new Ford Focus already employs direct injection, the Nu engine doesn’t yet, nor does it have variable valve-lift technology, a turbocharger, or auto stop-start — all of which could further boost its fuel economy. Many of those tricks are being saved until costs come down and demand for even better fuel economy increases.

As has also been a trend lately, Hyundai’s hard work has now given the Elantra, like an increasing number of its stablemates, a legitimate shot at class leader status. But while it’s got the price to beat the Cruze, the fuel economy to beat the Mazda3, and the style to beat the Kia Forte and the milquetoast Corolla (even post-face-lift), there’s still the small issue of the sporty new 40-mpg Ford Focus on the way, and the refreshed Honda Civic waiting in the wings. There’s precious little time, then, for the Elantra to upend the compact segment before it gets a lot more competitive. But if recent sales trends are any indicator, we wouldn’t bet against Hyundai.

2011 Hyundai Elantra News and Reviews

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The Chevrolet Cruze had a great five-month run as the king of the compact car castle. However, once the October 2011 sales numbers came in, it looked that the former champions of the segment had once again taken their lead. The Cruze has fallen to number three, with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic leading in the numbers one and…

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